Can't Shake You
by Lady Nikka
Summary: What happens after Collins and McNally return from Project Dakota challenges perceptions at 15 Division. New bonds are formed and strengthened as old ones are tested. New love and old feelings will test the coppers of 15 before all hell breaks loose. How I imagined season 4 playing out (sans Marlo of course... for now).
1. Chapter 1

"C'mon McNally," he drawled knowing full well that he wasn't even attempting to hide the smirk on his face. "Is that any way to treat your break up buddy?"

She snorted at him and stopped spinning on her heal to face him. Her eyes narrowed at him, but the hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "Self-appointed break up buddy. Not asked. So yeah," she shrugged at him. "I see nothing wrong with saying no."

"McNally," he called after her as he struggled to laugh. "This like, violates the code or something and possibly the rules!"

He let out a belting laugh as she threw her hand up and waved good bye to him as she headed to parade. "No way Collins!"

He stopped short with a grin on his face and he knew how to win this fight. Instead of being nice, he'd challenge her. Andy McNally wouldn't turn down a dare/bet/challenge however you wanted to frame it and then he'd win. He shouted out to her not bothering who heard him, "Wanna bet McNally?"

He watched her stop short of the doorway to the parade room and her shoulders square before she spun on her heel in an about face with a raised eyebrow. "Nope."

Collins felt his grin grow. He knew from the determined glint to her eyes and her vocal defiance that she was actually curious. He had her now. Trying desperately to keep the grin on his face, Nick picked up his pace and headed towards her.

From his seat on the corner of his desk, Oliver Shaw nudged his fellow officer. He had been watching the exchange between McNally and Collins with a sense of unease and awe. They had been partnered the last year since Sam had rushed into a UC job to escape the repercussions of Jerry's death and his break up with McNally. While everyone, or at least it had seemed at the time, had told Sam to deal with his feelings to save his relationship with McNally, he'd refused and jumped head first into a long term UC, deciding not to stick around after McNally and Collins had agreed to Callaghan's task force.

For her part though, McNally had been defiant since her return. She wore her hurt in her eyes, but it mellowed her out a bit, made her pay attention to the details around her a bit more. Knowing that Sam had left, she stopped looking about the room during parade and put her entire focus into her work. She had a single minded focus on the job as the walls went up. Shaw had commented more then once that she was like Sam in many ways when she didn't want to acknowledge that she might actually need someone.

And so they had watched her carefully, all of her former TO's, even Frank. Hell even Callaghan had decided to stick around and watch her back as she grieved for the loss of her relationship with Sam Swarek. But gradually they saw the hurt become better hidden, and while she never allowed any of them to get too close, she had allowed Collins inside the walls a bit. She was comfortable with him in a way that was unexplainable to the rest of the division. In a way they knew Sam wouldn't care for and it made everyone else uneasy.

They had been partners for the better part of a year and it seemed to be an effortless partnership. The division held a collective breathe the first few weeks Sam had been gone and the newly minted duo returned to normal duty. They all silently prayed for Collins. Andy McNally had a knack for finding her way into dangerous situations and they all hoped fervently that Collins had her back in fear of what Swarek may do if anything happened to her in his absence.

But gradually, the anxiety for Collins was replaced by an awe in the easiness of their playful banter and high arrest rates. They never quite got as high as Andy and Sam's but it was good. They were a solid partnership and relatively drama free minus the few blow out that they had, but that was normal in any partnership. Andy McNally's bad side was a place no one wanted to be, but like Swarek, Collins wasn't afraid to go there to prove a point.

So after nearly a year of observing his rookie come into her own with Sam by her side, her first real partnership after him, and the way they bantered back and forth and quietly supported the other, Oliver Shaw was slightly concerned. Sam wouldn't be gone forever, at least he hoped not, and it had almost been a year. The Anton Hill case had only lasted eight months and that had been Sam's longest op until now. Oliver knew that time away would give Sam the space he thought he needed to pull himself together, but he prayed that his friend would be able to deal with the mess he had made by leaving.

Those were the thoughts running through Oliver Shaw's head when he nudged Williams and jerked his head in the direction of McNally and Collins.

"Should we be worried about that," he said in a distant voice, like he wasn't sure that he wanted an answer.

Noelle looked up at him, and then over at McNally and Collins. She shrugged and got up to head to parade. "They're a good team. It was good for them to be partnered together after everything."

"Sammy isn't going to like how good of a team they are," Oliver said absentmindedly thinking about his friend.

"Then he shouldn't have left," Noelle said back defiantly. "He should have fixed this while she still wanted it."

"You think she doesn't want to fix them," He asked looking at his friend as if the idea was new and shocking.

"Would you?"

Oliver reached up to scratch the back of his head in a concerned manner. "C'mon Noelle," he said trying to make a point. "It's Sammy and McNally. They're a done deal. Meant to be."

"And he still threw it all away Ollie," Noelle patted him on the shoulder.

"She ran away," Oliver countered feeling the need to justify what none of them fully understood.

"So did he," Noelle deadpanned. "A couple times if you think about it. He didn't want to deal so he broke her heart, then he let her leave without fighting, and instead of going after her, he went under. He ran again instead of dealing with it."

Oliver trailed after his friend and silently prayed that Noelle wasn't right. He hoped that Sammy's time away put it into perspective for him. He also hoped fervently that McNally hadn't given up. She was never a quitter, but she had gotten better at not flinching at the mention of Sam's name. He only prayed that it wasn't because she stopped caring, that she stopped loving him. That would be the death knell for Sam Swarek.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"C'mon McNally!"

"No," she replied drily, her annoyance clearly present in her voice.

"It's for Chris," Collins whined with a smirk on his face. He was bound and determined to get her to cave in and the fastest way to do that was to get play on her willingness to do anything for her friends.

A snort was his only answer and he watched in amusement as her hands tightened on the steering wheel as they patrolled the streets. The increased attitude and blatant denials meant that she was already fighting with herself. Nick Collins almost let the smirk playing on his lips grow into a full grown grin.

Andy saw him struggling to maintain his facial features and she knew that he knew she was going to cave in. _Damn it!_

"You can wipe that smirk off your face," she nearly growled at him not bothering to look at him. "I'm not doing it."

Nick merely sat back in his seat and let his smirk broaden into a mega-watt grin. Six months being cramped in close quarters undercover coupled with being her partner for the last six months told him that he'd already won this fight. Payback was going to be a bitch, but for now this month's contest, it was McNally 0, Collins 1.

Out of the corner of her eye, Andy saw Nick's reaction and struggled not to grimace. Even knowing that she lost, she refused to lose gracefully. "Shut up Collins!"

His reaction was a barking laugh as he nearly doubled over in his seat. Another peel of laughter followed Andy closing her fist and punching him in the chest to vent some of her frustration.

"I'll pick you up at eight McNally," Nick laughed as he rubbed his chest.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

_**I started writing this during 3x11 and then sat on it on the first two chapters until the season was over. Tweaked it a bit due to the ending, but I had Sam leaving originally because that's what I saw happening, and I've since gone back in to make some edits (obviously). I'm working a couple chapters ahead right now, so hopefully there is enough interest as I play with season 4 (sans Marlo I think).**_

_**Nikka**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I didn't expect this story to be popular at all and your reviews have been simply stunning and amazing. Thank you to each and every one of you! **_

_**To Guest, I didn't twist the story line, Sam left Andy a couple times, just as was mentioned in the first chapter. But unlike what you thought, I didn't assign blame, they are both to blame. "Twisting reality" is the basis of creative license and this fanfiction. I didn't meant o upset you, but this is how I see what happened between these two, and I hope you do continue to read and stick with the story long enough to see where it goes. As always, I appreciate your review and would happy debate my interpretation with you via PM or email. **_

_**Disclaimer: because if it wasn't already obvious, I do not own Rookie Blue!**_

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Sam Swarek was absolutely sick of undercover work. He was pretty sure that he might kill Callaghan and the rest of the task force team, but he was just honestly relieved to be done. Debriefing had taken place at 27 Division and Sam hadn't really tried to employ too much brain power behind why Callaghan chose 27 instead of 15. He was congratulated after giving nearly four hours of statements before Callaghan passed him his bag and allowed him to go shower.

Sitting on the bench in the locker room, Sam scrubbed his hands down his face and exhaled. He thought about the date. It was November 15th. Almost fourteen months since his world had been turned upside down. Nearly fourteen months ago, his – McNally hadn't shown up for parade and scaring him nearly to death when she told him about the attack and Gail being taken.

That meant that his best friend had also been dead for almost fourteen months and the pain hadn't lessened, but he'd become more accustomed to it. He also realized with a sickening sensation that it had been _almost_ fourteen months since he broken both their hearts and left her in the rain, and three hundred and seventy eight days since he had begged her for another chance and she'd left for her own UC with Collins.

It had taken a few days to put the pieces together after that night, but Nash's admission that she had passed up the task force because of the moved up time table combined with her lack of communication with Andy, and Sam had had enough. He had stormed into Frank's office, and luckily, nearly fifteen years of friendship had saved him from his boss' wrath when he had flipped a chair towards the wall at Best's adamant denial to tell him anything about McNally's whereabouts.

Sam vividly remembered Frank's set down before Callaghan entered the office. If Sam hadn't saw red that before at details of McNally's op being kept from him, he did then. After a few accusations and more than one threat about what would happen if anything happened to Andy, Sam allowed Callaghan to speak. That was the day that Callahan offered him a way to help keep McNally and Collins safe. He offered Sam a deep cover mission that would operate in conjunction with the one that he had put McNally and Collins, but not one that would cross paths with theirs directly.

It was never a question of if Sam would take, but if he could be trusted to allow Andy and her new partner to continue without any interference. Callaghan was willing to take the risk, he was willing to hedge his bets, because after all, Sam and Andy both got their jobs done. Sam also later came to suspect that it was Callaghan's way of trying to help Sam. Neither of them had planned on it taking this long though.

This was how Callaghan found him an hour after debriefing had concluded. He'd come to offer Sam a ride home or at least back to fifteen. He watched the man sitting on the bench lost in thought. This man man who did everything differently than he would have, who didn't care about making his career bigger and better, but was a solid cop that anyone would be proud of, was his rival for the last four years for the affections of a woman they had both loved deeply. Now that proud man, who could persuade anyone to confessing, be a rock to the people he loved, who loved silently and completely, now that man was lost and for the first time, Callaghan felt that he was to blame.

He had been thinking about Andy for this undercover role but had been torn. To be honest, Nash was more ideal, this case could help establish her, but Andy was the rookie for UC and that was because of Sam. He'd been worried about her, knew she was hurting, but after Nash's refusal, he realized he didn't have a choice but offer McNally the spot, especially with Best's recommendation.

That's how they ended up here. Andy had gone with him, instead of meeting Sam. While Callaghan wished they had sorted it out, his time table needed forced the situation he had tried to fix. After all, Sam had done the same for him not that long before. Multiple times, from what he'd come to understand anyway.

Before Andy had been under a full two weeks, Luke was able to pull Sam into a UC telling him that while he would never cross paths with her, Sam's mission kept her directly out of the most dangerous parts of what the task force had planned. Luke knew that that information was all Sam would have needed to say yes. What none of them knew was that Andy would be coming home before Sam.

"You want a ride home, or back to fifteen," Callaghan finally asked startling Sam out of his reverie.

Sam turned to look at his former boss with a shrug and nodded his head before grabbing his bag to follow him out, "Yeah, thanks."

The car ride was quiet, both lost in their thoughts, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Neither was known for their easy conversation with the other, but there had at least been a mutual respect for their ability on the job. What neither one had realized was that this UC op and their joint desire to keep Andy safe had bonded them. There was an almost easy camaraderie between them now, and on more than one occasion they had defended the other against criticism, well Callaghan more than Sam, but it was there.

"You know she's back in uniform," Luke said suddenly, breaking the silence in the car. He kept his eyes staring straight out the window shield. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Swarek stiffen and jerk his head in his direction in a manner that if he bothered to look would confirm that Sam's gaze was boring into him.

"When," Swarek's eerily calm voice asked. The tenor of his voice was dangerously low and the threat of what he might do now that he knew this information had been withheld from him was obvious.

Luke cleared his throat, and then found that he had to do it again. The heat from Sam's gaze had him fighting an urge to squirm in the seat. Sam's question hung in the space of the car making the air dense and nearly unbearable.

When Luke took his eyes off the road in front of them, he saw that Sam had not turned his gaze away and that the firm set in the other man's jaw foretold of the tenuous grip he had on his temper at the moment. They had made a deal when Sam went under that Callaghan would let him know when any change occurred in Andy's mission. The decision hadn't been unilateral and several high ranking members of the Toronto PD, including Frank Best, had been in on the decision to leave Swarek unaware of McNally's return. Had she come back completely unharmed, the decision might have been different, but that was an explanation for another time.

"When did she get back Callaghan," the menacing quality in Sam's voice couldn't be missed. His body was still and hadn't moved and inch. This situation could escalate to uncontrollable very quickly.

Callaghan swallowed again and cleared his throat. "Six months."

He took in the startled expression on Sam's face and looked back out the wind sheild as he tried to navigate through the streets of Toronto. The silence was broken by the whispered echo of the man sitting next to him. "Six months."

"Yeah," was the only response that Callaghan could formulate at the moment. Without thinking, Luke pulled the car over the curb and got out without bothering to see if Swarek would follow him. He walked into the bar near where he had parked and ordered himself a scotch. Swirling the contents of the glass around, he was just enjoying the aged after bite of the scotch when Swarek sat down on the stool next to him.

He waited until Swarek took a sip of his own whiskey before he spoke.

"She and Collins have been back six months, give or take," Callaghan began, detachment in his voice. "They were successful, they came back in one piece. She's okay physically."

"And what about everything else," Swarek finally asked from his place beside Callaghan.

"That might be her story to tell Sammy," Callaghan said taking another sip of his drink. "I don't think I can tell you that with any degree of accuracy."

"Can't or won't," Sam countered, still looking at the mirror behind the bar.

"We've all been a bit worried about her," Callaghan said turning towards him. "She's getting the job done, staying safe, hardly gets into any many situations as she did before."

"But," Sam turned too look at him with a question in his eyes. It was clear that Sam was worried about her. Hell, he still loved her and that much was obvious, but worrying about her came to him like breathing.

Luke took a swig of his drink and mulled over how to say what he wasn't sure how to explain. "She's just different. Her hurt doesn't rule her actions, but it's there when everything else is stripped away."

Sam didn't really have a remark for the words that Callaghan had thrown at him tonight. He was a man torn and warring with himself. Hearing that she had returned, Sam had the urge to go and see her. To demand that she just talk to him. He had to know what was going on in her head, needed to see her over thinking and fidgeting and battling with herself. Sam just needed to put his hands on her to convince himself that she was there, that she was okay like Callaghan had said. He needed that to convince him before they could begin to hammer out all the hurt they had caused each other. This time she wasn't getting away easily. He was going to to dig his heels in and make her fight to make him leave.

Sam watched Callaghan turn to look at something over his shoulder and then mutter a curse, "Oh holy hell."

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

_**Oh holy hell indeed! Hopefully you don't hate me for ending it there! As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated and helpful to furthering the story!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you so much for all of your amazingly stunning reviews! You guys are truly the best. I have laughed and cried, and been in awe of your kindness with each review. I hope this story continues to prove interesting.**_

_**Your reviews make my day!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue, or we wouldn't be tortured for 9 months wondering how Sam reacts to Andy leaving! This show seriously needs a full 22 episodes!**_

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Nick had left the room about ten minutes ago under the guise of getting a drink from the bar when it looked like Andy might have better luck getting this deal done on her own. He reluctant left, but not before leaning down press his lips to her hair. "You've got ten minutes," he whispered in her ear before excusing himself.

Andy felt herself smile up at Nick as she went back to discussing the deal and money that would need to be exchanged. The pair had gotten good at reading each other while they were undercover and it had benefitted them tremendously now that they were partnered. Each knew when to back off and let the other handle the situation and that the other is better skilled at. Andy also knew that Nick meant what he said about ten minutes. If she wasn't meeting him for a drink out at the bar in ten minutes, then he would be right back at her side forcing her to quit the deal and leave the bar.

"You don't even know how much I appreciate this," she said adding extra enthusiasm to her voice. Andy was trying to be pleasing and friendly, but after an hour of negotiating back and forth, she was finally making head way. They had reluctantly settled on an agreement and even the price seemed satisfactory to all parties involved. She decided to press her luck with an extra charming smile. "Really," she mused dropping her voice, "you have no idea how much this will help."

"Sweet heart," Tom, the owner of, Allen's, the new upscale bar in the heart of the business district of Toronto leaned across his desk smiling at her. "The pleasure was all mine."

Andy let herself beam a smile at him despite the feeling of unease spreading in the pit of her stomach. Tom had made several comments that she was sure he thought were endearing throughout the meeting and she had briefly suspected that was why Nick had left the room before he did something that would make the entire situation go south.

Tom got up to walk around his desk to show her out after handing her the envelope with the money they had discussed in it. When she reached out to shake his hand to close the deal, he took her hand and tugged her into him.

"How about we celebrate our deal with a drink," Tom's voice dropped to a husky timber. "Just you and me right here."

Andy pursed her lips and then wet them slightly as she stepped away from Tom. "I don't think that will be a good idea," she began in a nervous voice. Part of her despised how she was behaving, but she knew it would diffuse the situation a lot faster than if Nick came back into the room. "Nick has plans for us tonight and he doesn't plan things often, I'm not about to let than go to waste."

Tom smirked at her and shrugged his shoulders letting her go and opening the door for her with a small smirk on his face. "No we wouldn't want that to go to waste."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Luke took a swing of his drink and mulled over how to say what he wasn't sure how to explain. "She's just different. Her hurt doesn't rule her actions, but it's there when everything else is stripped away."

Luke watched as Sam waged an internal battle with himself. The man sitting next to him was internalizing the words he had just given him and was now struggling for some kind of clarity that would allow him to act. Luke found himself pulling at the label on his damp beer bottle. Never in all his time with Andy, or in the time since he caused her to leave him, had Luke Callaghan thought he'd be sitting next to the man that intrigued the woman they both loved to the point of distraction and hoping that they would somehow work it out.

If you were to ask Luke what happened next, he probably wouldn't have been able to pinpoint exactly what happened or what caused him to look up, but he did. He saw the man at the bar fidget and look and his watch. He kept looking around as if waiting for something to happen. Something about him and how he was behaving had Luke's policing instincts standing on high alert. Just as he was about to alert Swarek to the man to see if he was just being paranoid, the man turned back towards the bar and then looked up meeting his eyes.

Nick Collins stared wide-eyed at his former boss and then at the pensive man sitting next to him. Collins' eyes grew wider, if that had at all been possible, but in that moment, Luke knew that nothing good was going to come out of this situation. Callaghan watched in a detached sense of fascination before the worry and fear barreled down on him as Collins looked over his shoulder and then back at Swarek again with a grim look before meeting Luke's eye.

In that moment, Luke knew that Andy McNally was somewhere in this bar, of all the bars in Toronto, and that this situation was about to get out of control. He felt Swarek's curious gaze bore into him, but he wasn't sure what to do about it at the moment. Not in the least.

"Oh holy hell," he muttered before shooting his eyes over to Swarek whose eyebrows reaching just about to his own hair line in a questioning look. Luke saw Swarek begin to turn towards Collins and felt a panic grip him. He reached out to grab Swarek's shoulder and nearly cringed at the defiant glare that was asking him what the hell was wrong with him, before swallowing thickly. Luke's eyes involuntarily darted back towards Collins whose full attention was on the back hallway. His stomach nearly dropped as his eyes met Swarek's. "If I asked you to sit right here and look only at me," Luke began as his hand gripped a bit harder in to Sam's shoulder, "Could you just for once trust me and do it?"

Sam felt himself go stiff under Callaghan's grip on his shoulder as processed his words. Letting out a dismissive snort, Sam felt himself shrug at Callaghan agreeing readily enough if it got the other man to remove his hand from his shoulder. No sooner had Sam resigned himself to not look behind him than he felt the air crackle around him sending his senses into overdrive.

One look at Luke Callaghan's ashen face and clenched jaw told him all he needed to know. Andy McNally was somehow in this bar at this very moment. Sam whipped around just in time to see her barreling out of the hallway near the back of the bar and straight towards a tall blonde man whom he didn't quite recognize as his brain tried to catch up with what he was seeing.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Nick was getting restless at the bar. Andy had been in the manager's office talking to Tom for seven and half minutes, not that he had been keeping exact to the second tabs on it. He had told her that she only had ten minutes to finish the deal or he was coming in after her.

Tapping his fingers anxiously on the bar as he took a sip of his beer, Nick felt a familiar wave of anxiety grip him as he waited for Andy to finish her mission. This was what it had been like when he had to leave her on her own when they were under. He was a man normally known for his patience, and while he trusted her implicitly, Andy had a unique talent for drawing trouble to her like a magnet, and that sentiment always put him on edge when she wasn't directly underfoot.

In an attempt to get himself calmed, Nick took a long pull from his beer and scanned the other patrons of Allen's in an attempt to distract himself from worrying about his partner. His eyes skipped over the various patrons on the bar without much of a second glance until they landed on a dark haired man who wore a blank look of a man without a sense of purpose. Nick nearly spit out his drink as he realized that the man his eyes were resting on was none other than Sam Swarek, ex -, well ex-whatever of his partner who wasn't over it nearly as much as she tried to make herself and everyone else believe.

He paused with this beer bottle pressed up to his mouth as he met the shocked eyes of Luke Callaghan who was even more surprisingly sitting next to Sam Swarek. It was no secret that the two men across the bar, while colleagues, hadn't really seen eye to eye on several personal issues including the woman he was now waiting for. Nick sucked in a breath as he saw Callaghan's startled reaction as well as his attempts to keep Swarek from looking into his direction.

"Son of a bi-" Nick began to mutter, but stopped as he heard the office door squeak. He turned to see Andy walking determinedly towards him with a dangerous glint in her eye. _Shit, she's up to something._ Nick didn't even have to fully process any of the possibilities that were running through Andy McNally's head when she barreled into him.

Nick let out a grunt as Andy slammed into him and tucked himself into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist. Not even giving a thought to the two men on the other side of the bar who, by now, had surely witnessed her entrance, Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders, effectively tucking her under his arm. He looked down at her with a questioning look, only to have her look up at him with a quick smirk and lean up to kiss his cheek near the corner of his mouth.

"You're a lucky man Nick," Tom smirked at him. "This little lady here tells me you've got big plans for tonight."

Nick looked down at Andy with a smirk on his lips and then back to Tom. With a shrug he replied, "Gotta have something up my sleeve every once in a while."

Tom's feral glare seemed to be sizing him up as Andy buried he head into his chest and blushed prettily. Nick suddenly understood Andy's need for the PDA, and he was too happy to oblige. Somehow, between the UC and being her partner for the last six months, Nick was finally able to understand part of Swarek's ornery temper where she was concerned. Men were just naturally attracted to this girl and she had no idea of it, let alone how to fend herself off from it. Sure she could defend herself, but she couldn't stop attracting the male attention, usually from less than likable crowds.

"All set," Nick asked looking at Andy first and then as Tom. Seeing the other man nod as he continued to stare at Andy in Nick's arms, Nick made their excuses and began to turn Andy out of the bar. There little mission had gone off without a hitch, well for the most part, but Nick knew that he needed to get Andy out of that bar fast. She wasn't ready to deal with facing Swarek face to face yet.

As they left the bar, Nick kept Andy tucked under his arm squeezing her tightly to him. When she looked up, questioning his increased hold, Nick just shrugged at her. Tomorrow, all hell was going to break loose and Nick wasn't sure who he was more afraid of at this point.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Sam Swarek couldn't believe what he was seeing. Across the bar, a seemingly random bar, that Callaghan had just happened to pull up next to, stood Nick Collins. Sam was still reeling from the news that Andy had been back for six months, but seeing Nick Collins drinking a beer across the same bar from him, hit Sam like a ton of bricks. This was the man that had been Andy's only life line for six months, and while he trusted in his gut that Andy still loved him, there was still a fear that she and Collins had needed some way to cope with the situation between the sheets of a shared UC bed.

Somewhere between the realization of shock at seeing Collins, and the anger beginning to bubble at could have transpired between him and Andy, Sam watched in total disbelief as she came barreling out of the back hallway and into the arms of Nick Collins.

Sam was further stupefied when Andy leaned up on her tip toes, she had to have been, because she wasn't that tall after all and he would know that, to kiss Collins on the cheek. From this angle, it could have been on the mouth, but Sam couldn't fully process that possibility for his own sanity.

He watched afraid to breathe in case she disappeared as she and Collins left the bar without glancing in his and Callaghan's direction. Sam stared at the door of the bar in disbelief trying to figure out what it was that he had just witnessed with his eyes.

"Sam," Luke called for the third time trying to get his attention. When Swarek's eyes met his own, Luke saw the anger and hurt there. "That wasn't what it looked it," Luke tried, his voice quieting as he tried to make sense of what they had just seen. "It couldn't have been what it looked like."

"Then what the hell was it Callaghan," Sam deadpanned with a harsh look in his eye.

"I don't know," Luke replied dejectedly as shoulders slumped. The only thing that Luke did know what the tomorrow at 15th Division, all hell was going to break loose.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

_**Does all hell breaking loose sound fun? I'm sure the boys are exaggerating a bit! They are all level headed adults who know to talk first, argue later right?**_

_**Fascinated by your thoughts!**_

_**Nikka**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry about the delay. Grad school has been torturous this semester and then of course I was able to be a shut in with Sandy pummeling the east coast. I hope everyone and their loved ones made it through the storm with minor damage!**_

_**On a side note to Guest … Yes, English is clearly my third language and aren't you just amazed at how well I work with it? Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. If you don't like my mistakes, stop reading or better yet, sign in and offer to be my beta to help me spot and correct them. Otherwise, please go away. We are not professional writers and even in the publishing world there are typos (ask me for a list of common and popular books to reference if you'd like). **_

_**Thank you again for your amazing reviews and if I haven't gotten back to you yet… yell at me. I deserve it!**_

_**Nikka**_

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Andy hit her alarm clock for the third time that morning and only once she had settled comfortably back into bed did she realize that it wasn't her alarm that kept ringing, but her phone. Shooting up out of bed and quickly reaching for her phone she answered it breathlessly, "Hello?"

"Good morning Sunshine," the voice of her partner chirped causing her to snort at him.

"Go away," she griped back at him falling back into her bed, already wishing that she could hit rewind and start this day over.

"See, I would do that," he mused with a smirk on his face knowing he was pushing her buttons, "but see parade starts in thirty minutes and I don't want my partner to get assigned to some petty assignment since that means I'll get stuck there too."

"So thoughtful," Andy let her sarcasm shine a bit as she processed his words. When she had fully realized that if she didn't hurry she'd be late, Andy began to scramble out of bed and find clothes that she had neglected to take care of from the hamper by her bed.

In her hurry, Andy tripped during the process of shimmying into her pants. She thudded to the floor with a yelp and got up rubbing her eyebrow to relieve some of the sting. Her phone started ringing again and Andy didn't have to answer it to know that it was Nick rushing her out the door again. She only prayed that her hair would hide the red mark on her eyebrow where she was sure there was going to be a bump from Nick and his freakish observation skills.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Nick had spent the ten minute drive to the station trying not to implode with the news about Sam being back. Truth was that he didn't even know what to say to her. He had watched his partner struggle with Sam's absence. She had been initially scared of his anger and the fact that he might have moved on in her absence, then slowly, she began to put up walls that distanced her a bit from her friends and made her a bit more reserved. Andy was still, essentially, Andy, but she was different with Sam gone, almost like her spark was dimmed a bit to the soft glow of embers.

By the time they got to the station and Nick had parked, he still hadn't figured out how to tell Andy that she needed to prepare herself. Before he could talk to her, Andy had scrambled out the car and was hell bent on getting into the station and away from him. Nick was a bit confused, but he followed after her and tried to catch her before she slipped into the locker room. He missed Gail watching him follow Andy into the precinct through narrowed eyes.

"Andy," he called out to her jostling his bag back onto his shoulder. "Andy, wait up!"

Nick wasn't completely sure why it was that his partner was trying so desperately to escape into the locker room, but he was just as determined not to let her escape him before he could break the news about her ex-boyfriend's return. Collins caught her arm just before she was able to slip into the locker room and hauled her back to him. When she turned towards him with an irritated huff, Nick noticed the bump on her forehead.

"It's nothing," Andy huffed again, clearly angry at her partner's concerned look. Her eyes quickly scanned the hallway and further into the bullpen just to make sure that they didn't have an audience. Nick was blocking her view into Best's office, but the lights were off so figured that no one was there to observe at any rate anyhow. She just wanted Nick to drop the concern before Best noticed and forced her into working desk today. That would be torturous.

Andy flinched a bit and her eyes shot towards Nick's when she felt his fingers make contact with the skin of her forehead as he tentatively inspected the bump. Feeling her discomfort radiate off of her waves, Nick swallowed a bit realizing the intimacy of the moment. "That wasn't there last night," he mumbled.

Andy looked up at him and shrugged before responding, "I tripped this morning thanks to someone's repeated phone calls.

Nick looked contrite at her reply, but was stopped by the sudden iciness that crept into the air with the caustic comment from behind Andy.

"Well if you'd leave her alone for two seconds," the voice dripped with venom. "You wouldn't have to call her phone to find it in the morning."

"Gail," Andy whined as she exhaled turning to her friends.

For her part, Gail Peck didn't even register Andy's whining or exasperation at her comments. The blonde's eyes drilled into Collins daring him to contradict her or say something smart. On his face was a tiny smirk that reminded both of them what it was like when he had first put up with her nastiness when he came to the division, but the fire in his eyes told her that she was pissing him off. The realization that he actually had the audacity to get angry with her caused her own anger to burn hotter.

She tipped her head to the side in a dare for him to open his mouth and speak. Gail didn't have to wait long for his reply.

"What's the matter Peck," Nick said meeting her eyes with his own. His voice was laced with bland anger as he looked at her. "You jealous or something?"

Nick nearly laughed as he saw Andy freeze out of the corner of his eye, knowing that her eyes were wide with shock at his comment. But the expression on Pecks face, with her comically large eyes, flaring nostrils, and red lips that had dropped open only to snap shut and become pursed, what he was searching for. The temperature seemed to rise substantially in that moment as her anger flared.

He watched as her eyes narrowed and she stalked off, just barley catching the "as if" comment she mumbled under her breath.

Nick allowed a small smile to play on his lips as he watched her walk away. Turning to his partner with the smirk still intact, he was met with her raised eyebrow and disapproving shake of her head. "What that necessary?"

"Yes," he deadpanned still smirking as he watched his partner scowl at him.

"Are you like five years old or something," Andy asked him, putting her hand on her jutted out hip as her eyes narrowed at him.

"McNally," Best's voice interrupted them as both Collins and McNally whipped towards their boss.

"Yes, sir," she asked somewhat concerned as to what she could have done to make her staff sergeant seek her out before parade.

"My office after parade," Best said looking at her gravely. "It shouldn't take long."

"Yes, sir," Andy's response was terse as she begin to panic.

"And McNally," Best turned back to her, "Come alone. Your partner can wait for you."

"What did you do," Nick asked her incredulously trying to think of all the things that she alone could have gotten in trouble for. He was coming up empty. Since they'd gotten back, Andy had been relatively incident free and that was like some kind of record for her.

"I don't know!"

Nick turned for the locker room wanting to hurry and hoping that Andy would take the hint as well when her voice stopped him.

"Fix it Nick," she pleaded with him

Nick looked at his partner dumbfounded for a moment not sure how he could. "Andy, I have no idea what Best wants-"

"Not with Best," she interrupted him. There was a firmness to her voice, "with Gail."

He swallowed thickly and looked at his partner. "I'll fix my shit when you do."

"Completely different," Andy gripped at him. "Gail is _here_. Fix it. Soon. It's been six months, enough is enough."

"Yeah, well," Nick responded scratching his neck and looking up at the ceiling before down at her. "The last time took us almost five years to sort it out, so I figure I have at least another four and half years to get on pleasant speaking terms again."

With that, Andy pushed Nick towards the men's locker room with a scowl on her face. She disappeared into the women's locker room completely unaware that two senior officers were watching the entire scene unfold as they waited for Best to return to his office.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

When Andy came out of the locker room, Nick was already waiting for her fully dressed and ready to head to parade. "How do you always do that," she asked him clearly annoyed that he'd beaten her again.

"Talent," he replied letting the smile fall from his face as he thought about having seen Callaghan head into Best's office while he was waiting for Andy with two coffees. Last night came back to him suddenly and he nearly cursed himself for not finding a way to tell Andy about Sam before she got blindsided with it.

"Um Andy," he said nervously as they started walking towards the parade room. "We need to talk."

She looked up at him but continued on her way having seen Frank already make his way into the room. "Sure, after parade."

"No," he said grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop. "Now."

"Nick," her voice dropped as her eyes moved from his hand on her arm to Best beginning parade.

"Sam's back," he blurted out. If he hadn't had a firm grip on her arm, Nick knew she would have bolted. The tension and jittery nerves were radiating through his hand as it held her in place.

"That's not funny," she ground out stepping closer to him in an attempt at intimidation.

Nick shook his head and looked at her. "He was at the bar last night," he said quietly. "Sam saw us last night. I looked him dead in the eye he was with Callaghan at Allen's."

The panic that washed over Andy's face was almost painful to behold. Nick could tell the exact moment that Andy decided it was time to bolt from the building by the look in her eyes. He tried to keep a tight grip on her arm but she broke free and began moving towards the nearest exit.

"I need to get out of here," she said voice shaking as she took off away from Nick.

"No," he said firmly catching ahold of her and spinning her around to face him. "You need to stay and face this. It's been a year Andy. You need to fix this."

Nick knew it was dangerous to throw her words back at her, but he had to try. She was chewing on her lip as her teary eyes searched for a way out of the hurt that she knew was coming her way. "We're gonna go in there," he told her pointing towards the parade room. "We're gonna let Best make his announcement and sit there while Sam is welcomed back and congratulated. Then you and I are going to go out on patrol and give you both some space to sort over the shock of seeing each other again."

"I can't Nick," Andy's voice shook as tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks.

"You can and you will," he told her. Just when he thought he'd gotten her to agree with his plan, he released his grip on her arm which had proven to be a mistake and she realized the lack of contact and bolted at a near sprint across the bull pen.

Nick darted after her and caught he arm effectively halting her progress despite Andy desperately trying to get away from him. Without debating the consequences, Nick tugged her arm and got her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and spun on his heel to head back to the parade room.

He was so focused on keeping a grip on Andy's squirming figured that her threats went unnoticed. "Andy, you're going in that room, and you're going to sit there until we are dismissed," he nearly snapped at her wanting her to know this was for her own good.

"No!" She barked back at him still trying to get out his grip as he carried her. "I'm not doing it. You can't make me."

"Wanna bet," Nick retorted not seeing that he was nearing a figure in the hallway when the rest of his coworkers were crowded into the parade room.

"You alright there Collins," a smooth voice broke their squabbling as both officers froze. "You look like you've got your hands quite full there."

"I'm, um-" he struggled for a response to Sam's statement. "We're just headed to parade."

Nick stopped and met Sam's stare and took a deep breath. He took his partner's stillness as recognition of just who was standing in front of Nick despite her back being towards the other man. Nick bent a bit to allow Andy to slide off of her shoulder. He hadn't missed the flicker of annoyance in Sam's eyes as he watched Andy's body slide down the front of Nick's as he put her down. She looked up at Nick in panic before she turned around to face Sam.

Sam's eyebrow quirked up at Collins and then his gaze moved to Andy's ghostly face. "That so," he mused and was met with silence. "Well off you go then Collins," he said as his eyes never left Andy's face daring her to look at him again. "McNally."

He watched her shiver as his use of her name before her eyes looked up into his. "Welcome back Sam," she said quietly before Collins forced her through the door of the parade room.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

_**Don't hurt me! I know I promised anger… but you have to admit… the suspense leading up to a Swarek outburst is always painfully intoxicating? Maybe it's just me. But I'd be terrified of this reaction out of him!**_


End file.
